R.I.P. Felix Silla, Cousin Itt of The Addams Family and Twiki on Buck Rogers

Silla was one of the few surviving cast members of The Addams Family. He was 84.

The Everett Collection

Felix Silla was a fixture on classic television, though you rarely saw his face. The Italian-born actor began his showbiz career as a circus performer, coming to American in the Fifties to tour with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. His first familiar television role came in a 1963 episode of Bonanza, "Hoss and the Leprechauns," in which he played one of the "leprechauns" who encounters Hoss Cartwright (pictured above on the left).

Two years later, Silla found himself in a recurring role, as the shaggy Cousin Itt on The Addams Family. The character, hidden behind head-to-toe hair, was an original creation for the television series and not taken from Charles Addams' cartoons. The "hot and heavy" wig Silla wore was originally made of human hair, he told The Los Angeles Times in a 2014 interview — until the crew realized how highly combustible this costume was. "All the guys on the set smoked," he explained. "The producers worried that I might step on a smoldering cigarette and go up in flames. They gave me synthetic hair, which was flame-retardant."

Silla later worked in Sid and Marty Krofft productions, playing Polka Dotted Horse on H.R. Pufnstuf and Colonel Poom in Lidsville. In the late 1970s, he joined the cast of two iconic sci-fi series — Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. In the former, he went uncredited as the villain Lucifer. Most will remember him, however, as the physical performer behind the robotic Twiki on Buck Rogers. (Looney Tunes legend Mel Blanc provided the voice.) In season two, he also appeared at the blue-skinned, white-haired alien Odee-x in "Journey to Oasis."

Thanks to these roles, Silla became a comic-con regular. He also landed roles as an Ewok in Return of the Jedi, as "Dink" in Spaceballs, and as aliens in everything thing from Meatballs II to Married… with Children.

On April 16, Silla died in Las Vegas, where he made his home later in life, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 84.

Following Silla's death, John Astin (Gomez) and Lisa Loring (Wednesday) are the only surviving cast members of the original Addams Family.

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26 Comments

39 months ago
How did they make Cousin Itt's voice. Did they have him say a bunch of nonsense and run his voice backwards? As I said I really loved him in everything he was on.
39 months ago
Rest in Peace Felix. I also seen him in an episode of Petticoat Junction too. I loved Cousin Itt and Twiiki and the little fellow in H. R. Puffinstuff.
JHP 42 months ago
Lisa Loring - SSSSSSSSmokin! she still has her fastball
JHP 42 months ago
all I know that in his characters - his neck got a super workout

watch the eps

twiki and cousin Itt :)

#15
Mike 43 months ago
Years ago, I saw a low-budget movie called Little Cigars, about a blonde on the run from a gangster who falls in with a gang of dwarves who were stick-up men.
Felix Silla was one of the midgets (the term in use at the time; no offense intended); the others were Billy Curtis, Frank Delfino, and Jerry Maren - all of whom you'd recognize from shows they'd done over the years.
I know it's not a "monster movie", but Little Cigars might be a fun picture for Svengoolie to show some night ...
Evil25Illusion 43 months ago
Sad to hear. Rest in peace, little guy. You were great!
retired2019 43 months ago
He was lovable as Cousin ITT. His derby hat and sunglasses should be put in the Smithsonian. R. I. P.
sputnik_57 43 months ago
Only the Addams could understand Itt's "language".
Itt: the orginal hippie..RIP man!
HLelandFrame 43 months ago
I believe that Lucifer was NOT played by Felix Silla--but by Jonathan Harris (Dr. Smith on Lost In Space!)
Mike HLelandFrame 43 months ago
Felix Silla was in the Lucifer costume (basically, same function as Twiki).
Jonathan Harris provided the voice-over.
This is SOP for robot costume characters, going back to Forbidden Planet in the '50s.
Patsy 43 months ago
Spell check is free. It's " coming to America", not "American".
Grizz 43 months ago
€£€£€£€££(€€###:##
Translation RIP I loved your character.
LoveMETV22 43 months ago
I wonder does Metv have someone on their staff dedicated to looking up obituaries? It's nice they write articles on the actors in tribute to them though.
Moody 43 months ago
Cousin Itt was one of my favorite characters on Addams Family. He still cracks me up everytime I watch. RIP Felix Silla.
MichaelSkaggs 43 months ago
He was also one of the Ewoks in "Return Of The Jedi".
Deleted 43 months ago
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ValT 43 months ago
Hi there, cousin! I'm a cousin to Cousin Itt, too! ;-)
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